- Ireland faces pressure to stop sending Russia an ingredient vital to its war on Ukraine
Source: Associated Press
“The Karin, a 400-foot-long (120-meter-long) cargo ship, sat moored this week on Ireland’s boggy River Shannon estuary. Soon it set sail for Russia laden with a white powder that can be forged into weapons vital to Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Alumina, the key ingredient in aluminum, goes into everything from toothpaste and lipstick to missiles and drones. A Russian-owned plant in southern Ireland is Europe’s biggest alumina refinery and regularly sends shiploads of the substance directly to St. Petersburg and other Russian ports. … Ireland faced calls to stop the shipments as dozens of European leaders gathered in Dublin this week to discuss support for Ukraine. A summit of the 47-nation European Political Community on Thursday is being followed Friday by a meeting of European Union leaders.” (11/12/26)
- Trump threatens to hike taxes on Amerians over “migrant invasion”
Source: India Today [India]
“US President Donald Trump has threatened to immediately double tariffs on [American buyers of goods from] Mexico unless the country stops what he described as large migrant caravans moving towards the US border, escalating his post-midterm confrontation with Mexico. In a sharply worded post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump claimed that a new ‘invasion’ was underway after Republicans suffered heavy losses in the US midterm elections. He argued that large groups of migrants were forming and travelling through Mexico towards the United States.” (11/12/26)
- Palestine: Israeli troops murder six, including surgeon, in Gaza hospital attack
Source: CBC Newss [UK state media]
“An Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza’s main hospital overnight killed at least six Palestinians, including a surgeon and a teenage boy, medics said, the latest Israeli attack to undermine a year-old ceasefire in the war-shattered territory. The strike hit a building containing surgery wards at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Israel’s military said it targeted a senior Hamas commander and accused the militants of using the hospital complex to plan attacks, which the group denied. Medics and witnesses said two missiles crashed through the roof of the five-storey building, causing extensive damage. The surgery department, which serves half of Gaza’s two million people, was knocked out of service. Twenty others were wounded.” (11/12/26)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israeli-strike-on-gaza-hospital-kills-six-people-9.7418729
- Ukraine says military Starlink disrupted again as US envoys meet Putin in Moscow
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine’s military is again facing ‘systematic’ restrictions to Starlink’s military-grade satellite service, Starshield, meaning Kyiv is struggling to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. It came as US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, a day after the latest talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine wrapped up in Abu Dhabi. Zelensky told European leaders in Dublin that Ukraine was trying to clear up the Starlink situation with the American side. But, he added, ‘some things’ were already clear: ‘If someone in America is making decisions that basically treat Ukrainian territory as if it is not Ukrainian, then this tells us where things are going.’ He did not elaborate further.” (11/12/26)
- Trump administration proposes new SNAP limits
Source: mLive
“President Donald Trump’s administration is planning to make it harder to get food aid through the federal government’s big grocery assistance program that serves about 1 in 10 Americans. The administration says the proposed rule would close a loophole by no longer allowing some people who receive benefits under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to automatically qualify for the separate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program too. About 6.3 million people could lose eligibility for SNAP by the 2029 fiscal year if the proposed change takes effect, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program. That is on top of 5.5 million people who already have lost SNAP benefits over the past year. The plan is laid out in a proposed rule published Tuesday on how to run SNAP, and the government is seeking public comment until next month.” (11/12/26)
- UK: London court finds two Iranian men guilty of spying for Tehran
Source: ABC News
“Two Iranian men who spied on journalists working for a Persian-language broadcaster in London were found guilty Thursday of spying for Tehran. Jurors at Woolwich Crown Court in south London found Mostafa Sepahvand, 41 and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, to be working on behalf of the Iranian state and convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service. A third defendant, Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 57, was acquitted of all offenses against him. … The defendants were accused of visiting addresses linked to their targets, taking photos and videos, and using platforms such as ChatGPT to research them online.” (11/12/26)
https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/london-court-finds-2-iranian-men-guilty-spying-138075096
- ICE gang abductions, deportations hit record high
Source: CBS News
“Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported a record 483,200 people in fiscal year 2026, according to new Department of Homeland Security figures obtained by CBS News, marking a historic escalation in President Trump’s signature immigration crackdown, even as voters grapple with the increase in interior enforcement. … ICE also reported more than 491,000 immigration [abductions] during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, including nearly 475,000 administrative [abductions] — another record, according to DHS.” (11/12/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-deportations-arrests-hit-record-high/
- Russia: Car Bomb Kills Soldier Near St Petersburg in Latest Targeted Assassination
Source: US News & World Report
“A Russian military serviceman was killed after the car he was driving was blown up in the Pushkinsky District of St Petersburg, investigators said in Thursday. ‘Investigative authorities have opened a criminal case into the murder of a member of the armed forces,’ a statement from Russia’s Investigative Committee said. Video showed that military police had sealed off the area as investigators and forensic scientists worked at the scene. A bomb-damaged dark blue SUV with its doors, boot and bonnet open stood on a road littered with blast debris next to what looked like an empty passenger bus which appeared to have also suffered damage. Russia has blamed Ukraine for previous assassinations of senior military officials and people linked to Moscow’s war effort.” (11/12/26)
- As Top Dems Waver, Van Hollen and Khanna Work to Axe Funds for Iran War
Source: Common Dreams
“As leading Democrats express hesitation about using an upcoming fight over government funding to cut off money for President Donald Trump’s illegal Iran war, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Ro Khanna are pushing their party to act boldly against a conflict that spurred massive backlash against the GOP at the ballot box last week. The Washington Sun reported Wednesday that Van Hollen (D-MD) and Khanna’s (D-CA) call for Democrats to withhold their support for any government funding package unless it excludes money for the Iran war is ‘hitting resistance from senior members of the party’. The outlet cited several top Democrats, including Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, and other lawmakers who have voiced skepticism about potentially sparking a government shutdown over war funding just weeks after the midterms.” (11/12/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/van-hollen-khanna-iran-war-funding
- FL: City says new GOP-backed DEI law blocks St Patrick’s parade, Pride event
Source: Fox News
“A Florida city says it cannot host its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade or Pride event in 2027 because of a new Republican-backed state law restricting local governments from funding, promoting or taking official action related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Officials in Delray Beach announced the decision Tuesday, citing restrictions on ‘certain programming and activities designed or implemented with reference to ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity.’ … The law prohibits counties and municipalities from funding or promoting DEI initiatives, directly or indirectly, or taking certain official actions related to them, including adopting ordinances, resolutions, rules, regulations, programs or policies.” (11/12/26)
- European city regimes demand total EU ban on cigarette filters
Source: Politico
“Major cities across Europe are calling on the EU to ban the sale of filters in cigarettes, saying the plastic-based stubs have no health benefits and are the single biggest cause of urban litter. Brussels, Munich, Dublin and Genoa are among the city governments that have joined the No (Plastic) Filter campaign, an initiative driven by the Dutch government, along with local municipalities, water authorities and green groups. They argue that the EU’s ‘extended producer responsibility’ schemes — rules requiring tobacco companies to pay for cleanup — have failed to curb pollution from cigarette filters and that an outright ban is needed.” (11/12/26)
https://www.politico.eu/article/european-cities-demand-total-eu-ban-cigarette-filters
- Pope tells Peru bishops to accompany their flocks & respond to abuse victims with truth, justice
Source: SFGate
“After his emotional homecoming, Pope Leo XIV got down to work Thursday telling Peru’s Catholic bishops to accompany their flocks as they face poverty and injustices, and respond to victims of clergy sexual abuse with truth, justice and amends. Leo made it clear he knows the Peruvian church and people well in his opening events in Lima, identifying some of the biggest challenges facing them and calling the influential Catholic hierarchy especially to task to be models of unity and communion. Peruvians turned out in droves to catch a glimpse of Leo, with crowds outside the church residence where he is staying and an even bigger gathering at the central Plaza Mayor where he had his first events Thursday. Leo thrilled them by looping around the plaza in his popemobile.” (11/12/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/pope-leo-gets-down-to-business-in-peru-after-22526949.php
- US attorney demands Blumenthal preserve ballroom probe documents
Source: United Press International
“A U.S. attorney with the Justice Department demanded that Sen. Richard Blumenthal preserve all documents concerning his investigation into potential conflicts of interest stemming from the Trump administration’s drive for private donations to construct the White House ballroom, accusing the Connecticut Democrat of threatening American citizens for associating with President Donald Trump. ‘In recent weeks, you have threatened citizens for associating themselves with the president and other public officials. Yet, the ‘freedom to engage in association for the advancement of beliefs and ideas is an inseparable aspect’ of our Constitution and way of life,’ U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz of the Southern District of Texas said in a Wednesday letter addressed to Blumenthal.” (11/12/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/11/12/DOJ-Blumenthal-ballroom-project/5111794462530/
- Indonesia: Vice president resigns amid dispute over eligibility
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Indonesia’s vice president has resigned in the midst of a scandal over his high school diploma, adding pressure on a government facing widespread dissatisfaction over the economy, corruption and wildfires. Gibran Rakabuming Raka submitted his resignation to President Prabowo Subianto and parliament on Thursday, the speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly told reporters. … Under Indonesia’s Constitution, a vice presidential vacancy does not trigger a new election. The office remains vacant until the People’s Consultative Assembly elects a replacement from two candidates nominated by the president within 60 days.” (11/12/26)
- Annual Fundraiser: The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves
THANK YOU to subscribing contributor BT, whose $2.50 monthly donation yesterday saved us from a “zero-dollar day” and brings our annual fundraister total to (as of 5am) $1,289.50!
We’re about 47% of the way through our 92-day “annual fundraiser window,” and about 47% of the way to our goal … technically “on track,” but the faster we get there, the sooner I can stop bothering you about it every day.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER!
Thanks to supporter GL’s “matching funds” pledge, we only have to raise $2,751.50 from everyone else to get $2,751.50 from him.
Another sweetener: GL usually pays his pledged half in Bitcoin, and it’s my impression that Bitcoin’s price is at or near its current bottom — so wrapping this fundraiser up early would likely result in a “bonus” as the value of that second half goes up after we receive it.
That URL again:
https://news.rationalreview.com/support-rrnd
Thanks in advance for helping us put this thing to bed!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily - Massie forces new Epstein files showdown
Source: Axios
“Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) secured the 218 signatures needed to force another House showdown over the Jeffrey Epstein files Wednesday, just one day after fellow Republicans blocked his attempt to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Congress overwhelmingly voted last year to force the release of the Epstein files, but survivors and lawmakers say the Trump administration has still withheld records. The new bill would give them the power to sue the DOJ and help state prosecutors pursue investigations. Massie announced Wednesday afternoon that his discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act II had reached the required 218 signatures. … Massie’s petition is expected to become eligible for a floor vote by early December, with more than enough legislative days remaining under the House’s current schedule.” (11/11/26)
https://www.axios.com/2026/11/11/massie-epstein-files-second-vote
- Russia-Ukraine talks turn to post-war security but end without breakthrough
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi between Russia, Ukraine and the US aimed at ending the war in Ukraine have concluded after a second day. Although the American side said they saw ‘some openings’, there was no hint of any breakthroughs to end the nearly five year-long war sparked by Russia’s invasion. … Both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed that a large-scale prisoner of war exchange was in the works and could be carried out soon. After the talks it was announced that on Thursday US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner – President Donald Trump’s son-in-law – would travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, and then to Dublin to speak to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. This latest round of talks had been framed as centred around the ‘security architecture’ of Europe.” (11/11/26)
- MS: Hyde-Smith Concedes to Colom in US Senate Race
Source: New York Times
“Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Republican of Mississippi, conceded to Scott Colom, a Democrat, in a video posted to social media on Wednesday evening. … Colom’s win means Democrats will hold at least 55 Senate seats at the start of the next Congress. The contest in Alaska, in which the Democrat Mary Peltola has a narrow lead, is the last remaining Senate race in which a winner has not been declared.
Ms. Hyde-Smith, the first woman to represent Mississippi in Congress, was first appointed to the Senate to fill a vacancy in April 2018.” (11/11/26) - Bitcoin Core reveals bug that made thousands of nodes trust any stranger on Tor
Source: CoinDesk
“Strangers connecting through Tor could bypass spam and privacy protections on thousands of bitcoin nodes because the software treated them as trusted computers. Bitcoin Core published a formal security advisory on Tuesday, about 13 months after releasing a fix. The code change had been public on GitHub since September 2025, under a title explicitly saying whitelist permissions should not apply to incoming Tor connections. The flaw was one of three developers disclosed Tuesday, all patched in releases issued last October. Another could leave a mining node unable to build blocks until its operator restarted it.” (11/12/26)
- Iranian Regime Says It Struck Omani Island That Helps Guide Ships Through Hormuz’s Southern Route
Source: Marine Insight [India]
“Iran has claimed a strike on Didamar, a small rocky island belonging to Oman at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, according to reports on Tuesday. Iran’s military said that personnel on the island were ‘helping the flow of oil smuggling by the enemy’. An unnamed official of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy told Iranian state media that navigational aid systems in the south of the Strait of Hormuz were destroyed. The official added that no vessels that Iran considers unauthorised passed through the route overnight. Oman confirmed that a loud explosion was detected at the base on the island.” (11/11/26)
https://www.marineinsight.com/iran-strike-omani-didamar-island-hormuz/
- Diagnosis in Place of Reason and Feeling
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Sinead Murphy“At school, my son is studying King Lear. In a recent test, he came fifth best of twenty-two students. ‘What was the subject of the test?’ I asked him. ‘It is impossible to feel sorry for Lear in the first two scenes of Act One,’ he told me. ‘What did you write?’ I asked. ‘That it is not impossible to feel sorry for Lear. Because of Lear’s cognitive decline.’ Lear, victim of Alzheimer’s disease. One of the richest literary outputs of human history: swallowed by a diagnosis.” (11/12/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/diagnosis-in-place-of-reason-and-feeling/
- A Soviet Handbook for Fighting Totalitarianism
Source: Law & Liberty
by Jacob Howland“When Vladimir Bukovsky’s memoir of his public struggle against Soviet tyranny appeared in 1978 in Michael Scammell’s energetic English translation, reviewers welcomed it as an exceptional book. Written with literary flair and suffused with quiet moral authority, it exposed, in excruciating detail, the demonic brutality of the psychiatric repression of political prisoners under Khrushchev and Brezhnev. To Build a Castle also vividly portrayed the misery of life on both sides of the barbed wire in a country ruled by fear, plagued by pervasive aggression, alcoholism, and nightmarish bureaucratic torments, and impoverished by universal corruption and an economically murderous ideology.” (11/12/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/a-soviet-handbook-for-fighting-totalitarianism/
- The Unpardonable Malpractice of Pete Hegseth
Source: The Nation
by Michael T Klare“The offenses cited by Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) in commencing impeachment proceedings against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—that he initiated and sustained the war with Iran without required congressional approval, conducted military operations in Yemen and the Caribbean without such approval, and eroded protections for civilians trapped in overseas war zones—are all valid and fully justify his removal from office in accordance with constitutional precepts. But however worthy, they fail to capture his essential, unpardonable offense: strategic malpractice when commanding troops in battle.” (11/12/26)
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/pete-hegseth-iran-war-military-strategic-failure/
- Say’s Law and the Riots in France
Source: Cobden Centre
by Patrick Barron“When French finances go deeply negative France cannot simply demand that the Bank of France print more francs out of thin air. The franc is gone and the Bank of France, which still exists, is an intermediate entity between French banks and the European Central Bank. The power to print more euros and buy French bonds is difficult because the other members of the European Union have power to oppose what they easily see as monetization of French debt that probably will not be repaid in euros of purchasing power as lent. If they accede to a new round of bond buying at all, the interest rate will be much, much higher.” (11/12/26)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/11/says-law-and-the-riots-in-france/
- Did Walmart Use Market Power to Rig Battery Prices?
Source: Washington Monthly
by Jarod Facundo“Conventional wisdom holds that Walmart’s low prices reflect volume discounts and economies of scale used by the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer—America’s largest employer and largest grocery retailer by sales. But the PepsiCo suit, brought by the FTC under its then-Chair Lina Khan, presented evidence of the opposite of efficiency: PepsiCo’s painstaking micromanagement of prices to protect its most powerful buyer. For consumers, this raises the possibility that Walmart’s market power does not, at least in this case, discipline prices downward, but inflates them across the market. … But before the FTC suit regarding PepsiCo was filed in January 2025, private plaintiff antitrust suits against Walmart and battery maker Energizer had already been underway for two years. These cases, which have received scant media attention, provide another set of allegations that Walmart may be influencing its suppliers’ pricing decisions in ways that harm consumers.” (11/12/260
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/11/12/did-walmart-use-market-power-to-rig-battery-prices/
- But *why* do NHS wheelchairs take so long?
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Worstall“This sounds distinctly non-optimal: ‘Disabled people in England ‘have to wait up to two years for wheelchairs’’ … We do grasp that wheelchairs are more than simply four wheels and a chair these days. Also that there’s more than a little personal optimisation dependent upon the specific disability being catered to. But they’re not that complicated. … There is competition for the trade so where is the problem? Why is it that it can take up to two years? No, we don’t know either and it seems to us one of those things where we’d all like to know the answer. Our assumption is that the problem is with the monopoly, the NHS.” (11/12/26)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/but-why-do-nhs-wheelchairs-take-so-long
- Neocons, Neocons, Neocons!
Source: American Greatness
by Victor Davis Hanson“After the midterm wipeout, divisive blame-gaming erupted on the Right. One particularly bitter divide was over supposed ‘neocon’ interventionism and the Iran war. But who are—or were—the neocons, and what is neoconservatism? The word, clearly, means ‘new conservatives’. It was first used to characterize former liberals and Democrats in the 1970s who were turned off by their erstwhile party’s soft-on-crime domestic policies and especially by its cheery notion that we no longer needed to fear Soviet communism. They were even more appalled by Jimmy Carter’s paralytic reaction to Iran’s hostage-taking. In reaction, a number of public intellectuals and officials—such as Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, James Q. Wilson, Bill Bennett, and Jeane Kirkpatrick—began supporting Ronald Reagan’s ‘we win, and they lose’ approach to the Cold War and the military buildup needed to restore deterrence.” [editor’s note: File under “historical revisionism” – TLK] (11/12/26)
- What France Doesn’t Understand About Free Speech
Source: The Atlantic
by Thomas Chatterton Williams“An assault on free speech is unfolding in France. On Tuesday, a judge placed Michel Houellebecq, one of the country’s most significant living writers, under investigation for his alleged ‘complicity in incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence,’ an accusation that stems from comments he made about Muslims several years ago. Houellebecq’s remarks were controversial and insensitive, but defending his freedom to speak does not require finding his words unobjectionable. … The fact that he now faces the possibility of criminal charges should concern anyone who professes to care about the free exchange of ideas.” (11/12/26)
- Never Rubio
Source: The Bulwark
by Mona Charen“You hear the hopeful sighs among certain Republicans looking to move past Donald Trump and seeing JD Vance mired in quicksand. Maybe Rubio could be the future? He has MAGA credibility but without the cutthroat affect of JD or DeSantis. He was confirmed 99–0 in the Senate. He’s Hispanic. He’s clearly not full MAGA. Forget it. I say this as someone who would dearly love to see the GOP turn away from Trump and MAGA. But Rubio is not the vehicle. He may not have personally bitten the heads off the chickens, but he enjoyed the meal. Let’s consider the ways in which he has permanently stained his character. And for the sake of space as well as mercy, let’s limit our scope just to Trump’s second term.” (11/12/26)
- Democrats not yet unified for first big post-election Iran war test
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Blaise Malley“Congressional Democrats will face the first test of their willingness to translate their electoral gains into action against the Iran war before the new Congress is seated in January. While almost all Democrats appear united in wanting to end the war, a question of how to do so — and, perhaps more importantly, when to do so — is looming. Some are urging the current Congress to target Dec. 11, when ongoing government spending authority runs out. Though Democrats will still be in the minority at that point, activists and a number of members argue that the midterm results give the party both the political capital and the leverage needed to act.” (11/12/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/democrats-funding-iran-war/
- The 2028 campaign has begun, and it’s the most interesting in decades
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jackie Calmes“It’s a longstanding truism of modern American politics: The next presidential race begins as soon as midterm elections end. That nonstop politicking has been an annoyance for many voters but also for political reporters like myself. Like, give us a break, literally. Not this time. In the wake of the 2026 midterm elections that scrambled the national political map and its hoary red- and blue-state boundaries, Americans of all persuasions should be excited by the potential of the 2028 presidential election — and not just for its promise of ushering out Donald Trump. The 2028 contest stands to be one of the most wide-open, eventful, wholly unpredictable and historic races in memory.” (11/12/26)
- Trump could hit Pickaxe Mountain, declare victory and end the war
Source: Asia Times
by Arash Beidollahkhani“By striking underground site, Trump could claim Iran’s nuclear threat is obliterated and end his unpopular military adventure.” (11/12/26)
https://asiatimes.com/2026/11/trump-could-hit-pickaxe-mountain-declare-victory-and-end-the-war/
- Humanitarian Orgs Demand Answers on Yemen War After Hegseth Impeachment Fails
Source: The Intercept
by Nick Turse“With Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth temporarily safe from impeachment, a dozen humanitarian groups are calling on Congress to investigate one of the eight shelved charges lodged against him: his role in the deaths of hundreds of people during the ‘unauthorized war in Yemen.’ … The push for accountability follows last week’s electoral rout of the GOP and immediate calls by top Democrats for scrutiny of war powers abuses by the Trump administration. But with Democrats taking the gavel in both chambers next year, a defense official told The Intercept that the Trump administration’s failed 2025 conflict in Yemen risks becoming a ‘forgotten war’ amid a push for accountability focused on higher profile conflicts.” (11/12/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/11/12/pete-hegseth-yemen-war-civilian-harm/
- Trump vs. the ICC: The Law of the Strong or the Strength of the Law?
Source: Common Dreams
by Klaus Moegling“US President Trump is fighting the International Criminal Court, whose mission is to prosecute and convict high-ranking suspected criminals who have violated international law and human rights in The Hague. The US government under Trump is now imposing sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court as an institution. This represents yet another attack on global justice. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has 125 member states and, since 2002, has been prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide—including those committed by high-ranking officials. Like China, Israel, and Russia, the US is not a member of the ICC. However, a clear majority of countries worldwide (125 member states) do support it. The US government is now not only imposing sanctions on the ICC as an institution but has also previously taken action against members of the court. Thirteen judges and the chief prosecutor of the ICC have been placed on the U.S. sanctions list.” (11/12/26)
- The Rise and Fall of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Source: Antiwar.com
by Dan Steinbock“Defense Secretary Hegseth’s term is likely to be seen as one of the most disastrous ones in the Pentagon’s history. The lack of personal integrity and even basic executive experience compounds an aggressive, ideologically overdriven campaign that has triggered a chilling effect, tanked military approval ratings and alienated America’s allies, partners and adversaries alike.” (11/12/26)
- Rebels, Minerals, and Contractors: Trouble (and Opportunity) in the DRC
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Joseph Solis-Mullen“In mid-September 2026, former Green Beret Tim Kennedy was shot multiple times in the leg during an ambush in the Minembwe Highlands of South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He was part of a small Vectus Global team, one of Blackwater founder Erik Prince’s private security companies, accompanying Congolese forces. The event prompted, for a moment, a degree of American media coverage of the Congo. To be sure, the coverage was as shallow as it was fleeting, mostly focused on Kennedy’s own story; but make no mistake, there is much more here than just a seemingly random firefight involving private contractors in some remote African hinterland.” (11/12/26)
- The Beginning of the End for the AI Bubble?
Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker“It may be too early to start the celebration, but some of the AI stocks took a big hit last week. But not all companies were hit equally. The biggest hits by far went to the neo-clouds, with several of the large chip makers also getting seriously whacked. The hyperscalers seemed little affected.” (11/12/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/11/12/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-the-ai-bubble/
- Prosecuting Michel Houellebecq will not make France safer, but it will be less free
Source: Expression
by Sarah McLaughlin“Most people probably don’t recall all of the things they said last week, let alone four years ago. But for widely-read French writer Michel Houellebecq, comments he made in a 2022 magazine interview may spell legal trouble for him today. Houellebecq is now formally facing a judge-led investigation in a Paris suburb for ‘complicity in incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence against a group of people on account of their origin or their belonging or not belonging to a particular ethnicity, nation, race or religion.’ … Should authorities pursue charges and find him guilty, Houellebecq could face large fines and up to a year in prison. Even if they ultimately drop the investigation, the message is clear to both Houellebecq and everyone else: If you speak your mind on a controversial issue in France, you might get wrapped up in a lengthy and chilling investigation. You might even end up in jail.” (11/12/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/prosecuting-michel-houellebecq-will
- Adam Smith’s Hidden Parable
Source: Law & Liberty
by Daniel Klein“To resolve the paradox of the poor man’s son, we must extend the story to the next generation.” (11/12/26)
- Can Trump’s Weakness Be Europe’s Opportunity for Peace?
Source: The American Conservative
by Eldar Mamedov“ne consequence of last week’s midterm elections—which brought a historic rout of President Donald Trump’s Republican Party—has been the emboldening of European leaders who have spent much of his second presidency reluctantly appeasing him. This shift comes just as the Trump administration revives an ambitious effort to end the war in Ukraine. The question for Europeans now is whether to use Trump’s weakness to merely resist his diplomacy or to develop a diplomatic initiative of their own.” (11/12/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/can-trumps-weakness-be-europes-opportunity-for-peace/
- Trump and MAGA Are Still Making Up Election Conspiracy Theories
Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye“On election night, Donald Trump called Fox News and congratulated Democrats. Six days later, he was shitposting on Truth Social, asking whether anyone believed the election was honest. He claimed that early vote ‘dumps’ were so large that Republicans couldn’t win no matter how many people showed up on Election Day. ‘It’s all about the machines,’ he wrote. He offered no evidence that machines changed votes or that any of those early ballots were fraudulent. Trump had spent months telling Republicans to treat the midterms as a vote on him. The country did.” (11/11/26)
https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/trump-and-maga-are-still-making-up
- Don’t Ever Give Liberals an Inch and Never Let Up on Them
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter“Back in 1980, boxer Roberto Durán famously threw in the towel after a beating from Sugar Ray Leonard by waving his hand and saying ‘No más!’ (no more!). He was done, out of gas and hurting. Over the next few years, we can expect to hear a similar sentiment from many leftists, as conservatives sharpen our elbows and pummel them with the rules they’ve created and used against us. Make them hate it, make them cry ‘No más!’ and, even as they beg, never, ever let up on them.” (11/12/26)
- Imperfect Witness
Source: Quillette
by Jay Beecher“The testimony of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre was seldom examined with the scrutiny that the gravity of her allegations deserved.” (11/11/26)
- Remember the Midterms? It Sure Seems Like Congress Doesn’t
Source: Daily Beast
by David Rothkopf“Remember last week’s election? The one just a few days ago? The one representing a massive earthquake in American politics? Well, the president doesn’t. The GOP on Capitol Hill doesn’t. And many Democrats don’t seem to. And a whole bunch of pundits don’t. Despite results that marked the biggest electoral shift in House races since the mid-1970s, with the victories of countless candidates whose message was a promise of change, a condemnation of corrupt leaders, a corrupt political system, and a rigged economy that offers ever greater riches for the rich and a smaller and smaller piece of the pie to most of society… despite all that, we are seeing denialism on an epic and dangerous scale.” (11/11/26)
- Pentagon, Inc.
Source: The Intercept
by Rebeca Gordon“By buying up stakes in private companies, the Defense Department could become an independent, and vastly wealthy, behemoth.” (11/11/26)
https://theintercept.com/2026/11/11/hegseth-pentagon-investment-bank/
- SCOTUS, Trump’s Legacy, and the Long Game
Source: Independent Institute
by William J Watkins, Jr.“Trump could win a bigger legacy by sparking a national debate on reining in the Supreme Court’s power.” (11/11/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/11/11/trumps-legacy-long-game/
- Democrats Should Cut a Deal With Trump
Source: The Atlantic
by Chaim Saiman“On Election Night, Representative Robert Garcia, the incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee, described one agenda that congressional Democrats could pursue over the next two years: investigating the ‘Trump Crime Family,’ as his office put it in a statement. His message was, ‘Lawyer up.’ This tack would be a mistake. The new Democratic majorities should instead take advantage of the fissures now emerging between President Trump and his party to pursue their own legislative goals.” (11/11/26)
- The New Right Can’t Run Away from Trump
Source: The Dispatch
by Jonah Goldberg“Oren Cass blames Reaganites for problems his own movement created.” (11/11/26)
https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/gfile/the-new-right-cant-run-away-from-trump/
- When Immigration Fear Becomes a TikTok Influencer’s Alleged Business Model
Source: The American Prospect
by Adelle Nazarian“Fear has become a currency in America’s immigration system, and two federal lawsuits raise the disturbing question of whether it is being monetized. Camila Overmyer, an Indiana-based beauty influencer turned immigration commentator, is accused of using Spanish-language TikTok livestreams to convince frightened immigrants seeking humanitarian relief that their lawyers may have implicated them in fraud. The complaints allege that she solicited contracts, immigration records, and sworn statements while directing viewers toward competing attorneys. One lawsuit further alleges that Overmyer acknowledged receiving commissions when referrals became paying clients. The allegations remain contested, but they expose a danger larger than any dispute among law firms: What happens when someone without identified legal training gains immigrants’ trust, undermines their existing counsel, and may profit from directing them elsewhere?” (11/12/26)
- Congress Must Stop Arming Israel
Source: Foreign Policy
by Omar Shakir“For Israeli authorities and their supporters, maintaining the flow of U.S. arms to Israel is far more important than who pays for them. If Israel—rather than U.S. taxpayers—pays for a bomb, that does not mitigate the bomb’s impact when Israel drops it on a Palestinian family. The United States will remain complicit in Israeli genocide and apartheid as long as U.S. arms keep flowing. The new Congress should end all U.S. arms transfers to Israel. It can start by removing the $3.8 billion in military aid from fiscal 2027 appropriations and by blocking supplemental military funding.” (11/11/26)
- How to Rig an Election, If You Ran the Ballot Board
Source: Libertarian Party
by Sean Sparkman“Say you’re a Republican, and you’re in charge of the Early Voting Ballot Board. That’s the room where mail and provisional ballots get accepted or rejected, and where the post-election hand count gets done. Say you’d like that room a little less crowded with witnesses. And if anybody complains about irregularities? Easy. Call them a sore-loser Democrat. You have one problem. Texas law. Section 87.002(c) says the board needs the same number of members from each party’s list. Worse, every member swears an oath never to handle ballots alone, only alongside someone from another party. Annoying. So here’s the playbook.” (11/11/26)
https://lp.org/how-to-rig-an-election-if-you-ran-the-ballot-board/
- The Cruel Irony of Veterans Day
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe“In the 1950s, President Eisenhower officially changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day. That was done ostensibly, and somewhat understandably, to include veterans of WWII and Korea in the ceremonies. But with that shift, the holiday’s center of gravity moved from celebrating the end of a particular war to honoring veterans of all wars. And over time, after each major war, the holiday’s meaning widened from the initial grateful recognition that a war was over to something of a spotlight for politicians to stress that military service is itself glorious, which has made each next war easier to sell. And make no mistake, that is precisely what the hawkish politicians and establishment voices we hear today are doing.” (11/11/26)
- How Britain is pricing free speech out of citizens’ reach
Source: spiked
by Michael CR Reiners“Kristie Higgs lost her school job in January 2019 over Facebook posts expressing her Christian beliefs about sex and education. In February 2025, the Court of Appeal held her dismissal unlawful. It therefore took more than six years to establish that she should not have been sacked. Before congratulating ourselves on the strength of British free-speech protections, we might consider how many people could afford to wait that long. Britain possesses a remarkable variety of mechanisms by which it can ruin you for speaking your mind. Criminal prosecution is the most conspicuous. For someone with a professional qualification, a complaint to the profession’s regulator may be quite sufficient. For an employee, the threat of dismissal does the work.” (11/11/26)
- Culture Makes America Great
Source: The Daily Economy
by Donald J Boudreaux“Immigration skeptics fear newcomers will ruin America, but corruption of our constitutional order has come mostly from within.” (11/11/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/culture-makes-america-great/
- The Ethical Egg
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob“Politics and government have long been muddied by a chicken-or-egg issue. Which came first, people with good morals or the just institutions that nurture good people? Economist and social theorist Deirdre N. McCloskey surprised me, just a bit, by coming down hard on one side of the question last week. ‘It is ethics, good or bad, that guides pretty much all human relationships, from a marriage or a small circle of friends to a sports team, a business, or a nation-state,’ she wrote, adding that ‘well-designed laws, courts, catechisms, extrinsic motives, social approval, and even a few good and decent people are of no avail if too many people do not behave like self-respecting and other-respecting adults.’ While this sure seems true, I note that her fellow economists have been preaching the preeminence of proper incentives and disincentives to channel good outcomes. For a long, long time.” (11/11/26)
- Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 11/12/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Ordinary Men Chp 15 w/John Weeks.” (11/12/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/ordinary-men-chp-15-w-john-weeks/
- Rising, 11/12/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on tech CEOs like Alex Karp appearing to pivot to more liberal views after Democrats took control of Congress in the midterms.” (11/12/26)
- The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 11/12/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Christian Allies Rattled After His On-Air Rage Takes Dark Turn.” (11/12/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/217860/trump-christian-allies-rattled-on-air-rage-takes-dark-turn
- Advisory Opinions, 11/12/26
Source: The Dispatch
“First Amendment, Still Revolutionary.” (11/12/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/first-amendment-still-revolutionary/
- The Briefing Podcast with Michael Waldman, 11/12/26
Source: Brennan Center for Justice
“Lessons from a Watergate Baby.” (11/12/26)
- The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen, 11/12/26
Source: The Blessings of Liberty with Jeffrey Rosen
“Are Publicly Funded Catholic Preschools Exempt from Antidiscrimination Laws?” (11/12/26)
https://rosenjeffrey.substack.com/p/are-publicly-funded-catholic-preschools
- Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 11/12/26
- Pink Flame of Liberty, 11/12/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Matt Walsh TORCHES Trump!” (11/12/26)
- LPA Two Hour Lunch Hour, 11/11/26
Source: LP Alliance
“Join us for our anything goes podcast every Wednesday at noon eastern!” (11/11/26)
- The Moynihan Report, 11/11/26
Source: The Moynihan Report
“Marilu Henner: Sex, Super Memory, More Sex, and the Real Andy Kaufman.” (11/11/26)
https://www.themoynihan.report/p/marilu-henner-sex-super-memory-more
- Zooming In, 11/11/26
Source: The UnPopulist
“End of History Doesn’t Mean Civil Rights Gains Can’t Be Lost: A Conversation With Francis Fukuyama.” (11/11/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/end-of-history-doesnt-mean-civil
- Kibbe on Liberty, episode 411
Source: Free the People
“Good Food Is Essential for Freedom | Guest: Mollie Engelhart.” (11/11/26)
- NPR Politics Podcast, 11/11/26
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“These voters say the election won’t change much.” (11/11/26)
https://www.npr.org/2026/11/11/nx-s1-6037391/these-voters-say-the-election-wont-change-much
- Fountainhead Forum, episode 511
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“David Beito on TRM Howard, Booker T Washington, and early civil rights advocates.” (11/11/26)
- Make It Make Sense, 11/11/26
Source: Washington Post
“David Wasserman: Why voters turned on Trump.” (11/11/26)
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 11/11/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Senators Call For Removal of US-Israel Integration, Funeral for 44 Killed in Saudi Strikes, and More.” (11/11/26)
- The David Frum Show, 11/11/26
Source: The Atlantic
“Can Republicans Quit Trump?” (11/11/26)
- The Tom Woods Show, episode 2812
Source: The Tom Woods Show
“Does the Math of AI Add Up?” (11/11/26)
- Parallax Views w/ JG Michael, 11/11/26
Source: Parallax Views w/ JG Michael
“Midterms, Anti-Politics, Infotainment, and the Question of Emancipation w/ Joseph Sciortino.” (11/11/26)
- The Kyle Anzalone Show, 11/11/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Kyle sits down with returning guest Nick Cleveland-Stout of Responsible Statecraft to unpack why the midterms look like a real-time referendum on the Iran war, and what it means when the ‘endless war’ consensus finally starts costing incumbents elections.” (11/11/26)